NHL

9:45 AM ET The Montreal Canadiens are eight wins away from capturing the Stanley Cup. One Canadian team was going to make it out of the North Division playoffs. No one expected it would be them. Some of us are a little bummed about it, including me. I’ve picked against Montreal in both of its

11:35 PM ET UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask acknowledged that offseason surgery is an option for a nagging injury that limited him in their six-game series loss to the New York Islanders in the East Division Final. Rask wouldn’t disclose the nature of his ailments after the Bruins’ 6-2 loss to the

8:13 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks announced Wednesday they had agreed to an entry-level contract with Lukas Reichel after selecting the forward in the first round of the 2020 NHL draft. Reichel’s three-year deal runs through the 2023-24 season with a $925,000 salary-cap hit. General manager Stan Bowman said Reichel made

6:35 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning are Central Division champions, and are waiting for the winner of the New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins East Division final, a series that could end on the Island tonight. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens got one game closer to seeing which team they’ll be facing in the Stanley

1:47 AM ET DENVER — After coughing up a 2-0, third-period lead at home, the Colorado Avalanche are on the brink of elimination. Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored 10 seconds into overtime of Game 5 on Tuesday, and the Knights now take a 3-2 series lead back home. Game 6 is Thursday, the

12:19 PM ET Nazem Kadri‘s eight-game suspension has been upheld by a neutral arbitrator, a source confirmed to ESPN. The Colorado Avalanche center is eligible to return for a potential Game 7 of the second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. Kadri, whom

6:45 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning have a chance to eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes, though playing in front of their home crowd may be the boost the Hurricanes needs to keep their season alive. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche will try to find their game again in Denver after the Vegas Golden Knights put on

3:36 AM ET ESPN News Services MONTREAL — Tyler Toffoli scored at 1:39 of overtime, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night and a four-game sweep of their second-round playoff series. Toffoli took a cross-crease pass from Cole Caufield and beat Connor Hellebuyck with a one-timer for

7:00 AM ET UNIONDALE, NY — Mathew Barzal skated back onto the ice after the New York Islanders‘ Game 4 win. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum had been raucous all night, and Barzal gave the fans one more chance to roar as the game’s first star, pumping his fist and screaming “let’s go!” as he saluted

6:40 AM ET The 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs have seen two series sweeps already, and a third could be on the way, as the underdog Montreal Canadiens can eliminate the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4. Meanwhile, the intense New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins series heads back to Beantown for a pivotal Game 5, as

1:20 AM ET ESPN News Services LAS VEGAS — After the Vegas Golden Knights lost the first two games of their second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, captain Mark Stone said no team is out of a series until it loses at home. After sweeping two in Vegas, the Golden Knights are back in business.

6:19 PM ET ESPN News Services RIGA, Latvia — Nick Paul scored in overtime on a 2-and-1 break with Ottawa Senators teammate Connor Brown and Canada won its 27th world hockey title, defeating Finland 3-2 on Sunday night. The victory capped a memorable comeback, even for a nation with as rich a history in hockey

7:31 AM ET The New York Islanders tied up their series, 2-2, on Saturday, thanks to a boost from the crowd at Nassau Coliseum. In the West, can the Vegas Golden Knights do the same against the Colorado Avalanche tonight at T-Mobile Arena? Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens take to their home ice as the Winnipeg

4:35 PM ET Associated Press RIGA, Latvia — Andrew Mangiapane scored two goals to help Canada beat the United States 4-2 on Saturday in the semifinals of hockey’s world championship. Mangiapane has seven goals and four assists in six games since joining Canada midway through the preliminary round. Canada started the tournament with three straight

6:58 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders both suffered overtime losses in Game 3 on home ice. Both will look to respond in Game 4, with the Bolts seeking a stranglehold on their series with the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Isles looking to make it a best-of-three against the Boston Bruins.

1:53 AM ET Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was not a happy man after watching his team blow an opportunity to take a 3-0 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night. “The easy answer is this: For five periods straight now, they’ve been far more competitive than we have. To dissect the

8:21 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin had surgery on his right knee and will not be available when the team reports for training camp in September. The team made the announcement Friday but did not provide specifics on when Malkin underwent the procedure or the nature of the surgery.

6:48 AM ET Down but not out, the Vegas Golden Knights return to T-Mobile Arena for a critical Game 3. Can they keep this series interesting, or are the Colorado Avalanche clicking on too many levels right now? Meanwhile, after an unsettling end to Game 1, the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets return to the